Next Phase
by MKRG
Summary: Daniel Jackson is having nightmares and hallucinations. Simultaneously, a new threat to the galaxy is attacking closer and closer to home. How could his frightening visions be connected to those who seek to harm his entire world? Follow up to Missing Link, but can be read as a stand alone.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello, old friends and new! I'm finally back with a doozy of a fic that has taken years to write. I only say that because I kept having to stop and start at different points since 2010. This is meant to be a follow-up to my previous fic Missing Link, though it is not absolutely necessary to read it prior to this. (It may make this more enjoyable to read that first, though!) I believe I throw in a sufficient amount of clues and reminders for the casual reader. Hope you enjoy. Please offer me feedback by leaving a review!

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Chapter 1

**Daniel Jackson**

_ Flashes. That's how it starts. Bright flashes of light that blind me enough to hurt, but so incredible that I can't look away. It's a battle waged with weapons of the mind and soul. It's happening somewhere far away, yet so close at the same time. Only in this dream do I even think I can understand it. It's in a higher plane of existence._

_ Somewhere among the dueling pair of electrostatic balls of light I see a familiar face. When she sees me, there is menace to her expression, souring the beauty she inherited from her mother. A small sound pulls my attention away… and the vision ends._

_._

**Oma Desala**

The humans that know of us call us "Ancients." In truth, we are no more ancient than the civilizations that came and went before us. Life exists in many forms, whether corporeal, ascended, or something more. It is that existence beyond ascension that my people look to now. Dwelling on the footnotes of our history is unfashionable, and even illegal. For most, interest in the development of our young descendants has been fleeting. Our law about non-interference is actually a mandate for indifference. Humans quarrel among each other in endless configurations of conflict. Watching them destroy each other has been reduced to nothing more than sport.

I am not like most of my brethren, however. There is still much we can learn from the lower planes. If there is one role lacking among my people today, it is that of a true historian. We cannot understand the future without first understanding the past. One human, I believe, would wholeheartedly agree. Perhaps that is one reason why Daniel Jackson will forever fascinate me.

His very soul shines as bright as the most vivid star. I cannot explain why his existence is so special. I cannot explain what tells me that his influence, seemingly insignificant in this endless universe, will have far-reaching effects on us all. I often wonder whether his actions or his words will ultimately be the deciding factor.

Twice he has risen to my level and experienced the awareness that I possess. I once believed that his place was here among us. But it would seem that he is destined for other things, despite lacking the knowledge of my people. He has always returned to the lower planes, so I have concluded that his purpose is meant to be fulfilled there.

I am here now, at sunset on Earth. Ribbons of crimson settle over his sleeping form with his wife in his arms. She has a glow about her, too. His radiance seems to surround and warm her soul. They share an intimacy beyond what most humans should be capable of, making the drama that is his life all the more interesting.

They have just given birth to new life. I sense a great importance in the event, and that is why I have come to take a closer look. As I loom closer, the eyes of my like-minded brethren turn to see through mine. Near the resting place of their parents, two human infants stir quietly. They are no more than days old, yet already they exude an indescribable quality about them. Their glow will likely grow bright as they mature. I shift into human form so that I may smile down on these new additions to the universe. My human hands reach down to touch each of their heads gently.

Secretly, I promise to look after this pair, despite what our laws say. I decided long ago that our rules are breakable for Daniel Jackson. That exception must extend to his family as well. One of the infants, the daughter, cries out. She is not alarmed by my presence, but curious. Everything is new to her and she struggles to understand her surroundings. Her sounds cause Daniel Jackson to stir. He does not see the light of my presence when his eyes open, but I feel the slight tug of recognition as his soul senses mine nearby.

Regardless, his only priority is to tend to his child. Quietly, so as not to wake his partner, he cradles his daughter in his arms. The feel of his strong hold must soothe her, as her curious greeting to me has ceased. "Are you hungry, little one?"

She only stares up at him. He is just a rounded ball of curious light to her immature eyes. But oh how content she is to be in her father's arms.

000

Daniel Jackson

Six years. How the time flies. I just realized that it's been six years since Vala disappeared and came back – the second time around. On some god-forsaken world a broken time machine sent her to the future. It was months before she returned, as if no time had passed for her at all. I feel like I should celebrate that she's still here. I might've had to wait until NOW to get her back if Jack hadn't worked his ancient voodoo on the damned device. The change of leadership at the SGC would have sidetracked any attempts to get the time machine working. Not to mention the bureaucratic bull I would have had to cut through just to get someone to understand that she was worth getting back. _There is no way I would have survived._

I'm counting my blessings, what few I have. These past six years have produced a whirlwind of changes that might never have been. I am not necessarily superstitious, but I wonder if crossing my fingers for the rest of eternity will help me keep my good fortune. Happiness has been a long time coming, and I'm glad it's here.

We're sitting on our back porch with drinks in hand. I've got a beer; she opted for a can of soda. She's leaning her head on my shoulder, legs curled up on the swinging loveseat. It's dusk, so the sun is just setting on the horizon and sending a warm-toned glow all over the sky. Vala swats at a mosquito. "Damn," she complains. "We should get them inside."

I don't protest when she suddenly abandons her drink on the porch floor and gets up. She's right. Mosquitos love this time of day. They also love little children. I groan a little as I shake the numbness out of my legs. I should probably get the can she left right next to my feet before I knock it over. Next thing I know a swarm of bugs will show up to investigate what we've spilled.

I reach out to grab it when something stops me. _My hand._

_ It looks like it's covered in dirt. Filthy._

I shake my head and blink. My hand is suddenly the same as it's ever been. Clean. I feel an odd sense of déjà vu.

"Daddy?"

I look up. As if he's just appeared out of nowhere, my son is suddenly nose to nose with me. He must be wondering why I'm staring at a can of pop so intently. He looks a lot like his mother with that look on his face, dark mop of hair and all. "Hey, Skywalker. You ready to go inside?"

"Look." He ignores my question and points at his arm instead. A huge bump is forming there, no doubt a mosquito bite that he's already scratched too much. As much as I try to tell him, his three-and-a-half-year old mind doesn't yet understand that itching makes it worse.

"Come on." I get up and take his hand. "We'll put something on…" I hear the can clank as my foot knocks it over.

"Daniel," Vala scolds lightly. She's got our daughter in her arms and is approaching the porch now. She touches my back and continues, _Now we'll have an army of ants knocking on our door._ My children don't hear it because those words are just in our heads. The mental bond we formed years ago on some strange planet has evolved to this point. We can hear each other's thoughts if we try hard enough… and only if we're making physical contact. I've yet to figure out just how much information gets exchanged without us really knowing it.

"Gah. Sorry," I answer aloud. There I go. Distracted again. I let go of our son's hand and find the water hose.

"Look, Mommy," I hear our son say as Vala leads him inside. He's probably pointing out the bite on his arm, now that he sees I'm too busy to take care of it. As I spray down the deck, I wonder what made me forget to pick up the drink in the first place. Wasn't I just about to grab it?

000

We get an early morning phone call the next day. "Ohh," Vala groans. She raises her head just enough to see the time. "The kids aren't even awake yet."

I make my own noises of complaint as I grab the phone from the bedside table. "Hello?"  
"Ambassador Jackson?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry to wake you, sir, but General Graham would like to have a meeting."

"When?"

"Nine hundred hours, sir."

"Does my wife need to be there?" Whoever's on the other line pauses. I think he's covering the mouthpiece with his hand as his muffled voice addresses someone else. "No, sir, you can fill her in."

"What's this about?"

"I'm afraid I can't discuss that over the phone, sir. We'll see you at nine hundred hours." The phone clicks.

"Who was it?" Vala asks, eyes still closed and half-asleep.

"SGC. Meeting at 9. You can stay home."

"Thank the gods." Her monotone exultation reflects my inner complaint.

Damn these early morning wake-up calls. I glance at the alarm clock near the phone. Five freaking AM. _Thank you, General Graham for giving me more than enough time to get ready. Really, I didn't need a full four hours. You're too kind._

I turn over and snuggle deeper into the blankets, with intentions of sleeping a little longer. Vala is already asleep again; I can hear her snoring. I'm just about to join her when I hear the pitter-patter of dreaded little feet approaching. Then I feel the bed shake as someone, or rather _two_ someones attempt to scale a mountain. I close my eyes even tighter and try to ignore them. One of them is now on top of me and leaning in close to check if I'm faking.

Damn the ringing telephone. It woke my little three-year old monsters from down the hall. "Daddy," Leah whispers. I sense her long, brown tresses tickling my face as they cascade down over her eyes.

I'm not looking, but it sounds like Luke is on top of Vala. "Mommy!" Vala jumps and so do I. Yup, definitely there.

I sit up and grab her attacker. Vala plops back down on the bed. "Shhh. It's too early for you to be yelling." I bring him face to face with me so he knows I'm serious.

He makes eye contact with me and nods. Then, he's over it in two seconds. "Hi, Dad!" he shouts. Oy.

"Morning," I mumble. His sister hops down when she senses I'm trying to get out of bed. I curl the boy into my arms. The three of us exit the room and leave Vala in peace.

"Who was dat?" Leah says, referring to the phone call as she cranes her neck to look up at me. I see that curious look in the mirror sometimes. Except, mine isn't framed by loose brown curls.

"That was work, honey."

She crinkles her nose for a moment as she processes what that means. "Don't go!" she yells. This girl is too smart for me. She knows that 'work' means 'Daddy will be gone for a long time, like a day or two.' Luke also seems to realize the implications and chimes in as well. Now I have one kid in my arms and one at my feet shouting at me.

"Argh, shhhh, Mommy's still sleeping… Me too," I mumble. I'm not going to kid myself that these two will go back to sleep. So we walk into the kitchen and I set Luke down in a chair. Leah climbs onto another one by herself. They're about to argue with me again when I bring a finger to my mouth to shush them. "It's only me leaving. Mommy gets to stay home with you."

This seems to satisfy my son, but Leah won't have any of it. It's a struggle to get her to calm down while I rustle up something for them to eat. She's been awfully attached to me lately, much to Vala's chagrin. I keep reminding her it's a just a stage kids go through. I also remind her that Luke seems to like her better than me right now, too.

As I push eggs around in a pan, I wonder what Graham has cooked up for me today. A new village to negotiate relations with? An ally asking for more supplies? As long as I'm home in time for dinner tomorrow, it doesn't matter all that much, I guess. I just try to keep in mind that this job is better than the life-sucking, time-consuming work I used to have. Being a representative of Earth is a lot safer than trying to protect the entire galaxy.

Lucky Vala. She only needs to go when there's a trade deal to manage. We won't be needing a new source of naquedah for a while. She's outdone herself getting Earth into contracts with every possible village that has control over even the most minute store of naquedah. I think she did it on purpose. Do all the work now so she can sit back and relax later.

"Dad, I want juice." I turn off the stove and head for the fridge.

I set a cup of o.j. in front of my daughter and bow, saying, "Your juice, Princess Leah." She giggles, pretending her cartoon pajamas are a bright pink princess dress right about now. It was Teal'c's idea to nickname the twins Luke and Leah. Apparently Star Wars names are more fun than plain old 'Nicholas and Diana.'

I serve breakfast and eat silently while the twins chat away in their own little language. I've tried to figure it out before, but it's nothing but gibberish to me. Vala insists that they understand each other perfectly. "They're just talking in code," she repeats. Something about that statement seems familiar, but I can never put my finger on it.

000

We moved into a house only twenty minutes away from base, so it doesn't take long for me to get there, even with traffic. The drive is routine and unexciting. Signing in and making my way down the elevator is normal.

But when I finally arrive at the levels for the SGC, I get the strangest feeling. _Like being trapped._ I slow my pace as I examine the familiar gray walls of a nondescript corridor. _The air starts to smell with a foul odor._ Someone, I think it's Siler, is hunched over a box attached to the wall. Probably fixing something.

_But I don't see Siler, I see a tortured man. He's half-naked and covered in strange welts. His haunted eyes bore through me as I'm dragged past._

"Daniel," one of my aides says in greeting. She falls into step with me as I walk down the corridor. I shake my head. The feeling is gone. Suddenly, I can't even remember if something strange just happened.

"Amanda. Tell me you went home and didn't stay here to work." I last saw her a day ago, before I took advantage of the lull in work and went home.

"I could, but then I'd be lying," she says nonchalantly as we stroll. Workaholic. It's not like I _really_ need her to be so thorough, but she does it anyway. For some reason I think this is her life. She doesn't have kids yet. I'm not even sure if there's a boyfriend, for that matter. I've never seen her out of uniform or without her light brown hair pulled back in a slick bun. Vala's been clamoring to give her a makeover. It takes all my effort to convince my wife to leave the poor girl alone.

I think back to when I was that young and so absorbed in my work. I shake my head inwardly in wonder. Nowadays I'm a full-time dad and only a part-time galactic ambassador.

She hands me a folder overstuffed with paper. I'm not very interested in what it has to say nor am I very eager to stare at it for long. I'm suddenly wondering when I became a Jack O'Neill. She gives me the highlights as we walk. Something about an update on one of the planets we visited a year ago. I nod and listen, but that's about it.

Ben, the other aide, is already stacking papers in the briefing room when we arrive. He is in uniform like Amanda, but his hair is unkempt. Or maybe that's just the style he chooses to wear it in. He's got a flair for the dramatic, if you know what I mean. He cringes at the thought of wearing 'those unflattering BDUs.' I know because he's complained several times. Vala just laughs and agrees. Then she shares her secrets for altering what should be standard-issue military uniforms.

"Daniel," he acknowledges me.

"Ben. You went home, right?" I question him.

He looks at me like I'm crazy. "Of course I did. I'm not insane like her," he says, pointing at Amanda. She just gives him a look of annoyance, but I know they're messing with each other. Before I can egg on any bickering, the General walks in. He's all business, so we sit down.

He greets each of us in turn and then gets to the point. "Overnight we received a message from the Jaffa of Yarluna, P4X-721. They may have been attacked." He doesn't look up from his report as he speaks. His jaw is set in a hard line, though it seems to look like that all the time. His buzzed white hair is a stark contrast to his tanned skin.

"_May_ have?" I ask.

"They were not sure what was happening. An alien ship of unknown origin descended upon their planet shortly before they sent us the message. It seemed to have landed on the other side of the mountains. They called for help when the earthquakes began."

I wait for more before offering a reaction. I'm not sure where this is going yet. Neither Amanda nor Ben seem surprised at the news. It's normal for them to get the details before me so that they can make suggestions as I'm briefed.

Ben chimes in. "The team that responded to their call measured the quakes. They were off the scale. Most of the village is destroyed and people are hurt."

Graham nods. "We're in the process of relocating the population now. The Belvians have agreed to take in temporary refugees. Dr. Jackson, I would like you to supervise the efforts to settle the Jaffa into their new surroundings. They'll need help smoothing over relations with their new human neighbors."

"Certainly. Any idea what caused the earthquakes? Or who the aliens were?"

"None so far. SG-1 is investigating. They'll update you directly when they're ready to make a report." Inwardly, I smile about SG-1 being involved. I haven't worked with Mitchell in quite some time. "Please depart for the planet as soon as you are ready, Doctor. You can take SG-14 with you for support."

000

When I arrive on the Belvian homeworld with Ben and Amanda, the smell is what hits me first. It's the smell of blood and death. The area around the gate is littered with Jaffa bodies. I barely notice the creeping forest just beyond the clearing. Most of the injured are lying there waiting for medical attention. SG-14 disperses instantly to offer the medical supplies that they brought. I can see other SGC personnel already trying to triage the wounded. The sight of one Jaffa's symbiote sticking out of its pouch, dying in agony, makes me wince.

"This is bad," I comment quietly. I can barely hear myself over the cacophony of dying moans and screams for help. My aides stay silent as they follow me through the carnage. I'm trying to pick out the face of the Belvian leader from the crowd, but there are so many people. After a few minutes of searching, he ends up finding me.

"Ambassador Jackson!" he calls in a heavily-accented, baritone voice. The village leader is wearing long ceremonial robes. I don't remember the significance of the particular colors he's got on now.

"Red and black. Colors of mourning," Amanda whispers to me. She often knows when to supply pertinent little details like that. I nod to her in thanks then grasp hands with the Belvian.

"Elder Maddock. How can we help?"

"Come, come, I will show you to the Jaffa leader. He is injured but wishes an audience with you."

We have to climb over a sea of bodies to get to the tent where the Jaffa in question is resting. When I enter, I notice that blood is seeping from his pouch. His tattoo signifies him as one of Ba'al's former Jaffa. He breathes in labored breaths, made all the more noticeable by his huge muscled chest heaving up and down. It's plain to see that the man is dying.

Elder Maddock kneels down next to him and says quietly, "The Tau'ri Ambassador is here, my friend. Hear him."

I don't think the Jaffa can see any longer. His head turns in my direction but his eyes remain unfocused. He reaches out an arm and I grab it in the traditional Jaffa handshake. His voice is weak, but determined. "Help my people."

"Of course." My aides hang back. Normally I would expect Ben to offer a dose of tretonin, but it's obviously too late for the miracle drug to save this Jaffa's life.

He grasps my arm harder so that he can pull me closer. "My son will take my place. He has much to learn and will need guidance. Find out who did this and allow my son to bring them to justice." His head plops back down on the makeshift pillow. His grip loosens.

I look back at Amanda, silently asking for information. "Gra'yek. He's young for a Jaffa. Likely to be vengeful," she explains. When I turn back to the Jaffa leader, he's already dead.

"Find Teal'c," I order quietly. Ben shuffles out as I run my hand over the eyes of the dead Jaffa leader and close them. I exchange worried looks with Elder Maddock, who then begins to say a prayer for his fallen counterpart.

000

"Dr. Daniel Jackson," Mitchell says with a smile, a few hours later. Given the situation, he keeps himself from grinning outright. He's just arrived on Belvia to give me and the remaining Jaffa his assessment of their homeworld. We shake hands near the gate. Amanda stands with me and the rest of SG-1 stands with Mitchell. "How's the missus?"

"Good. Stuck with the kids."

Cam takes a good look around, surveying the difficult scene of dead and dying bodies. His faint smile disappears. "Lucky girl."

I snort in agreement. "What did you learn?"

"It's not good. The planet's dead. Whatever did this sucked all the life out of everything. Green is now brown everywhere you look. The scary part is we found a huge canyon where a mountain used to be."

My jaw drops. "What? How is that possible?"

"Don't know. We're calling in the _General Hammond_ to do some scans. Sam says she'll believe it when she sees it."

Amanda speaks up. "And the alien ship?"

"No sign of it. Couldn't even get a good description from the few Jaffa who were left."

I run a hand through my hair. "So we don't know who did this or how or why. All we know is that an entire planet lay in ruins?"

Cam nods grimly. "Hopefully Sam will be able to learn more when she gets there." He turns to his second in command.

The Lt. offers, "Her ETA is 3 hours."

Amanda asks, "What about the gate on their side?"

Mitchell's resident tech guru responds, "Still operational. It seemed to be immune to whatever happened."

Cam takes another look around. The clearing still has a considerable amount of bodies now, several hours after the initial emergency. The acrid smell of blood still hangs in the air. "Looks like you could use a few extra pairs of hands."

"I'll show you to the supplies," Amanda says. Mitchell nods to his team, silently ordering them to follow her.

I step closer to Cam so I can speak quietly. "I've never heard of anything like this before. Have you?" Mitchell cringes, and I realize that he has. "God, you can't be serious."

"They were only rumors. Word on the street was that someone took out a whole farming colony controlled by the Lucian Alliance. We just thought they were screaming bloody murder so they could go attack somebody else. I didn't think it was true until now."

Now that is disturbing. I have worked diligently to make sure our allies do no harm to innocents. Some of our trading partners have expressed repeated concern about the Lucian Alliance's interference. It's been an exhausting effort to convince them that guerilla warfare, an attack on infrastructure and innocent people, is not the way to hit back at the Alliance. The real enemies are the goons with guns and ships, not the farmers and villagers without a choice. If anyone associated with Earth is involved, this could spell bad blood for everyone. I'm going to need Vala.

000

Amanda stays behind on Belvia while I return home to coordinate more manpower for the relief effort. As I step through the gate, I look forward to the relative calm and tranquility of the gateroom. It'll be a nice change of pace from the frantic scene I'm leaving.

But I almost panic instead. _For a slight moment, I'm suspended in mid-air, blind-folded and about to be dropped from an unknown height. It's just one element of their torture. They'll heal me just enough to keep me alive. Then start again._

The SGC materializes in front of me as I knew it should. I shut my eyes and open them again. Whatever strangeness I just experienced leaves me just as quickly as it came. I can't even remember why I felt nauseated a moment ago. Only that I had a sudden urge to run and hide. This is weird. I don't usually have problems with gate travel.

I nod to the defense team on standby and to the workers in the control room up above. They don't seem to sense that anything is wrong, so I dismiss… well, I don't even know what I'm forgetting about.

After I get home and we put the children to bed, Vala and I stay up to discuss matters of galactic security. "And you think the humans will get along with the Jaffa?"

"Remember that the Belvians were once desperate and dying themselves," I answer. "A few Jaffa were among the teams that nursed them back to health. I'm sure they'll help as long as Elder Maddock is still in charge."

"Show me again what it was like?" I clasp hands with her and bring my forehead to hers. We both close our eyes and open them to my memory.

_We're stepping through the gate and assaulted with the smell of blood and rot. Vala cringes mentally at the sight of a symbiote poking out of someone's torso. I let her take in the full sweeping view of bodies that I encountered when I first arrived on Belvia. She isn't exactly shocked, but she's not desensitized to the carnage either._

_ When I sense she's had enough, I break the connection._

She takes in a breath. "I don't know Gra'yek, but if he's truly Jaffa, he'll be enraged and ready to kill something. Teal'c will have his hands full," she comments, referring to the son of the Jaffa who died in front of me today.

I nod, knowing that she's probably right.

She goes on, "I think it's time to find out more about that attack on the Alliance colony."

A pause. "What are you thinking?"

"I only want to ask questions. I won't make direct contact with any of them." She abates my worry before it has time to grow.

I take in a breath of my own and let it out slowly. As much as I hate it when she goes undercover, I say, "I know you'll be careful." Vala cups my face, flooding my mind with a sense of caring. She seems thankful that I trust her so much.

_Of course I trust you._ I smile at her._ I love you._

_I love you, too_, she says in our minds. We exchange a light kiss.

000

I see Vala off at the gate the next morning. Once her wormhole closes, the gate begins dialing up again. "Incoming wormhole," someone announces. The iris closes automatically, sealing the gate shut.

I'm here anyway so I stay to find out who it is. The iris reopens and a lone figure steps through. The bright light of the event horizon causes a glare that prevents a person's face from being seen right away. The face is shrouded in a heavy, hooded cloak.

_Run._

I blink. _The cloak is brown_, I tell myself. Though I don't know why that matters. I force myself to stay put. A hand appears from within the cloak to reach up to the hood and pull it back. I half-expect the hand to look alien. But it does not.

The face of a shocked woman is revealed. She has a long red line down her face, oozing with blood. I now realize that her cloak is brown with mud and blood. She's been attacked. "Help us." The woman collapses.

I shout for medical help then rush up the ramp to the woman's side. "Eidera?" I recognize her. She's the daughter of someone we traded with before.

Her breathing is labored. "No, Eidera is my sister. I am Givanne. Please, help us."

"Tell me what's happening."

Her eyes begin to flutter close as she loses consciousness. "A ship…"

I stare up at the gate. The glittering wormhole is still open. I don't want to, but I can't help but think that this is probably the same ship that destroyed the Jaffa planet. While I'm thinking this, some medics take the young girl away to the infirmary. The wormhole decides to disappear.

Standing now, I turn to look straight at General Graham up in the control room. "I need a team." Without delay, he calls for SG-1 while I head to the armory to gear up. I meet Mitchell on the way back to the gate room and fill him in. When we arrive, the MALP is already heading into a new event horizon.

Walter speaks over the intercom. "We're getting back a signal. There's a brush fire to the left of the gate, and… standby… there's a ship hovering nearby."

"You're recording this, right?" I ask.

"Yes, sir," he replies. "The MALP is now showing that the ship is rising up and out of the atmosphere." I look at Mitchell.

He asks Walter, "Did you recognize the configuration of the ship?"

"No, sir. Never seen it before."

"Damn. This could be it."

"SG-1," the General sounds, "check it out."

The Colonel nods and we move out.

There isn't much we can do about the brush fire that is quickly spreading deeper into the forest, so we hustle to evacuate anyone that's left. The small village seems decimated. I'm not sure what destroyed the buildings and left the once-happy town in ruins. Bodies lay about, some cradling dead children. Some of their faces are turned away from my sight, while others are drenched in blood. Pairs of eyes are open and staring, surprised that life could end so early. I try not to think of my own kids at moments like this. It would be difficult to go on with me imagining Nick or Diana down there on the ground.

I pick up a young man whose leg is injured and help him toward the gate, where a wormhole is already waiting to receive him. One of Mitchell's men stayed at the gate to ferry evacuees to our safe point on the other side.

The village isn't very far – only a few minutes run to the gate. I secretly thank whatever god is listening because that brush fire has exploded into a full-on forest fire. It threatens to consume everything. I quicken my pace as I run back and forth, trying to pick up the most injured who can't move well enough on their own.

By the time we've rescued everyone we can find in the village proper, it's simply too late to venture into the trees to look for more survivors. The smoke of the immense fire is blackening the sky and the trees are peeling away. Mitchell and I take a quick look back before escaping through the gate.

I could swear I saw something else moving in those burning trees. _Everything is on fire, except for the lone black figure in the distance. It has the shape of a man in a cloak. When it turns to look at me…_

I grab Mitchell by the vest and pull him with me through the gate.

The fear pulsing through my veins is enough to debilitate me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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I can't sleep that night. I'm too afraid of what I'll see. Normally, Vala would find a way to calm me down enough to rest, but she isn't here. She's still offworld. I run my hands down my face and get up. I pad around the side of the bed barefoot and open the door. Our children's room is just one door down the hall.

I peek in. The nightlight shines enough to let me see whether they're in their beds sleeping. Seems like they are. The small beds sit opposite each other in their room. I settle on the floor in-between and lean my back against the dresser on the far wall. Knees pulled up to my chest, I set my chin on them. If Vala isn't here to be my anchor, then my children can take her place. I stare at nothing for a while as I listen to the sound of my babies breathing. The sound of them being alive.

The images of those dead children come back and haunt me. I shut my eyes, but that only makes the memory clearer. Whatever is happening out there could easily hit Earth. But if Earth isn't safe, then what is? I shudder, wondering if there is anywhere to hide my family. My first thought goes to Atlantis, but then I remember the Wraith and all the problems they've been having since they went back to Pegasus. Not safe there either. Everyone and everything is vulnerable.

I realize that the gasps of air I hear are my own. Tears are streaming down my face. What is it about this that has me so damn scared? We've beaten the Goa'uld, the Replicators, and the Ori. But despite the reminder, I feel no comfort.

"Daddy?" Luke is sitting up, staring at me. He looks a little scared, especially with the faint glow of a nightlight being the only illumination in the room.

I open my arms and he gets out of bed. Without another word, he hides his face in my chest, and I cradle him close. My head leans down on top of his. I let out a shaky breath and hug him tight until morning.

000

My eyes open, and sunlight is streaming in. The sky outside the window looks a pale purple. Vala is leaning over me with a hand to the side of my face, concerned. I look down to confirm that our son is still in my arms. He's fast asleep. She doesn't say anything as she picks him up gently and returns him to the bed. Leah is still sleeping peacefully under her own covers.

I cautiously refuse to grab Vala's offered hand. She leads me to our bedroom and sits me down before finally speaking. "What is it?"

I'm not ready to touch her and open a real connection. I don't think I'll be able to prevent the flood of fear and desperation I'm feeling from shocking her mind. She doesn't touch me, though I know she wants to. Sometimes it's just better to wait for the message to be delivered with words. "I'm worried," I whisper.

She squints. "You're always worried, my Daniel."

I duck my head. "How was your mission?" I say, quickly changing the subject. Maybe I'm just overreacting to what I saw yesterday. Any parent would have trouble sleeping after seeing _that_. I let my emotions get the best of me last night – that must be it.

"Somewhat fruitful. I got a description of that ship everyone's been talking about."

"Really? Did they show you the MALP video yet?"

"What video?"

"There was another attack. The MALP recorded a ship leaving atmo. It looked… alien."

"Alien as in not from our galaxy?"

"Yes."

Vala touches my arm lightly, opening only the faintest connection. _I'll have to take a look at that recording when I get back. How are the children?_

She removes her hand before I can overwhelm her with my instant fear for their safety. "They're fine. The babysitter said everything was okay when I picked them up." Vala nods, satisfied with my answer. Whether she sensed my emotions or not, I'm not sure. She isn't commenting about it at least.

"Did you get _any_ rest?" I open my mouth, but she stops me. "Never mind. Go to bed and get some proper sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." I kiss her briefly then follow her orders. Sleeping sitting up was a great way to make my back sore.

"Wake me up if the SGC calls."

"I will," she promises, tucking me in like one of the kids.

Later, I wake up well-rested and with little thought to the carnage I witnessed just the day before. I purposely push it out of my mind so I can enjoy time with my family. Luke and Leah are playing outside in the back again. I find Vala sitting on the porch, watching them. She smiles up at me. "Good afternoon."

I plop down next to her and lean back on the chair. "I slept that long?"

"Darling, you were exhausted. Of course you slept that long. Hungry?"

"Yeah, in a minute. Thanks."

Luke seems to notice that I'm among the living again and runs over. Leah continues to throw a Frisbee around and run after it herself. My son climbs up onto my lap for a big hug. "Are you okay, Daddy?" he asks with his small voice full of concern.

Vala looks at him with an adoring smile. Then she looks at me funny. "Yeah, buddy. I'm okay. How about you?"

He grins and nods. Then he says, "Who's da bad guys?"

"Huh?"

"Bad guys."

"What do you mean, darling?" Vala asks, leaning in closer.

"Da ones with da black dresses."

I stare at my son for a very long moment. How the hell…

"Luke, did you watch something on T.V. that scared you?" Vala says. She picks him up from my lap and stands. As they face away from me, she continues, "Because you know none of that is real."

Their conversation fades into the background. I know exactly what my son is talking about, but I don't want to admit it. Did I say something out loud in my sleep? Oh god, I can't do this. I can't scare my children. They shouldn't even know that the world is a dangerous place. Yet. They're not ready to handle that reality. _I'm_ not ready.

Leah runs over, sweating and breathless. Her cheeks are red from all the activity. "Can I have some juice?" she yells.

Vala looks back at me, silently telling me to take care of it while she handles Luke. "Come on, Princess." I take her hand and lead her inside to the kitchen. When I glance back, Luke is staring at me intently. I hide away from his gaze, not sure what to think.

000

"You've got to be kidding me," Mitchell groans. Word has just come in that another village was attacked soon after the one we tried to rescue. This time, it is the Tok'ra delivering the message. According to them, more planets are being wiped out than we thought.

"I am not," the bland-sounding Tok'ra replies. We're gathered in the briefing room with the General and one other Tok'ra. Mitchell's team is with us, too. The messenger shows us a data tablet with a star chart. One of Mitchell's people connects it via air link with our system so that it can be projected onto the screen. A convenient little upgrade from Sam.

The Tok'ra gets up to point out areas of concern on the projection. "The attacks began here, on the outer rim of the galaxy. Humans and Jaffa alike have been settled here for centuries. Yet no one has ever seen our attackers or their ships before."

The other Tok'ra speaks up from his seat. "One of our bases had to be abandoned because our planet came under fire. When a scout returned, the planet was completely stripped of natural resources."

General Graham leaned forward. "Are you saying that's what they're after?"

"We do not, as of yet, General, have a valid theory."

"I think it's safe to say that they're after _something_," Mitchell suggests. "I mean, these attacks can't all be random."

"Indeed," the one near the screen replies. "Not much is known about the resources available on the planets already destroyed. I believe that is one thread of the investigation that may yet be explored. But there is something more troubling." He taps his data pad, causing the star chart to be littered with red dots. Red dots that are multiplying. "The attacks are spreading deeper into the galaxy."

Mitchell's second-in-command studies the chart closely. "That would imply that they have more than one ship. It would take hundreds of ships to manage an invasion of this magnitude."

"Invasion?" I question. I'm not sure I like the sound of that.

"What else do we call it?"

A moment of silence passes over us as we consider the idea.

Finally, I ask, "What's the closest galaxy to the region being attacked?" The Tok'ra looks at me with a question in his eyes. "I mean, if this _is_ some sort of new alien race, where could they be from?"

Seemingly exasperated, if a Tok'ra can look any other way than bored, the one with the data pad indulges me. The star chart zooms out until our galaxy is the swirling cloud of light that inspired its namesake of Milky Way. It shifts more until we can see surrounding galaxies, which according to the scale, are ridiculously far away. The Tok'ra offers a slight disclaimer, "Our astronomers are still fine-tuning the technology used to make these maps. Please note that the location of these galaxies are still conjectures. They could be closer or further depending on…"

I block out his words. Something about this map seems important to me. As if it's a clue from a past far away that I can't remember. I used to have déjà vu with Ancient-related things. Could this also be something to do with the Ancients? I study the map, squinting my eyes as I think.

Pegasus is easy to recognize. The old Asgard galaxy is just over there. I try to pin-point the section of Milky Way currently under scrutiny. If I let my eyes wander just below and to the right… there. "Tell me about this galaxy," I say, pointing. I sense the eyes of the General and the Tok'ra looking at me funny. Mitchell just sits back, knowing that the gears in my head are turning. He's learned by now to let me finish my thoughts. He used to say, "If I wait long enough, some smart idea eventually comes out of your mouth."

The Tok'ra nearest the screen leans in, as if looking closer will help him glean additional details about the galaxy. The seated Tok'ra pulls out his own data pad and does a quick search. He replies, "It is tentatively named Argosa. Based on the colors of the gasses and the EM waves we have thus far detected, it is as simple as our own galaxy."

"Simple," I repeat, deep in thought. _I don't quite think 'simple' is the right word._

He continues, "It has not been studied in great detail by our scientists," trying to explain away their lack of information.

I wave that off. "I doubt anyone has much data on that galaxy. We haven't had much reason to pay attention to it before."

Mitchell's tech guru sits up. "Perhaps it's time for us to start paying a little more attention then." I nod to him in agreement.

The Tok'ra at the screen continues his report. "Regardless of who these _others_ are, they are threatening to encroach on Goa'uld-controlled space. If we do not determine the source or nature of these incidents and address them quickly, it may provoke the remaining Goa'uld fleets into war."

"Against us," the General assumes aloud.

"Precisely. The Tok'ra can ill afford such actions at this time. As is the same, I believe, for your allies in the region."

The General stands, causing his military subordinates to follow suit. "Then we'd better find out who the hell's behind this before they give us even more headaches. Colonel, oblige the Tok'ra with all of our intel. And start interviewing the survivors to see if you can find anything in common with their planets regarding natural resources. Dr. Jackson, have your aides provide assistance to SG-1, then compare notes with our allies and figure out just what the hell these aliens are after."

"Yes, sir," we both reply. Mitchell offers to escort the Tok'ra to a VIP room, simultaneously dismissing his team. I'm about to get up myself but the General stops me.

He waits for everyone to leave before speaking in a low voice. "Dr. Jackson, you and I both know that it's going to take more than just surveys and study groups to get the job done."

I wait for him to continue, unsure of what he's getting at.

"I need people in the field, people qualified to move around and among our enemies with as little suspicion as possible."

"Yes, sir," is all I can say.

"You and your wife…"

I can't help but interrupt him. "Have a family." I'm hoping that's enough to convince him that I'm not interested in going on a long-term mission offworld.

"Which will be protected with the full might of this country's military." The usual hard line of his jaw softens almost imperceptibly. "I'm not ordering you to go. I'm asking you. General O'Neill's told me enough about you for me to realize that forcing you won't work. Think about it this way, Doctor. By learning about our enemy and sending the intel back home, you'll be ending this sooner so you can get back to your family. I'm sure your wife can appreciate that."

"I'll be recognized."

"No, you won't. I am authorizing the use of the mimic devices recovered in a foothold situation years ago. I trust that you are familiar with…"

"I was there."

"Yes. Then you know what they're capable of. The Tok'ra have also offered a supply of their own drug. I believe it is called… the Reole memory-altering chemical." I nod to affirm that I remember what it is. One poke and the person you're trying to fool thinks you're whoever you want. "You don't need to give me an answer right away, Doctor. You still need to debrief with your aides so they can get started. Go home and discuss this with your wife. Then tell me your final decision in the morning." He stands and walks into his office, leaving me to consider his request.

000

It isn't long before I get a phone call from Jack. I take the call privately in my office after dismissing my aides. "Jack."

"Daniel."

"What's new?"

"Nothing much. I was thinking of taking a nice little vacation with a certain special someone. But we're both sort of busy at the moment."

"Same here."

"So I've heard. You could help with that."

"With what?"

"Our vacation."

"What? How?"

"By becoming a spy and figuring out just what the _hell_ is going on out there," he says casually. "As soon as this business is done, I can take some leave."

I nearly smack my forehead. Why am I not surprised? If Graham can't convince me, then surely Jack's gonna try. I take in a breath, readying myself for a long-winded explanation of why I shouldn't go. "Jack, things are different now. I have Vala and the kids to think of. I can't let anything happen to me because I need to be the one to make sure nothing happens to them."

"You know your space princess can hold her own."

"I know. I know. But this is my family. I haven't had blood relatives to care about in a long time. I don't want my kids to end up like me, parentless." I close my eyes at the thought. So many things have ruined my life. As soon as they were born, my new goal was to make sure my own children never have to feel the pain I've felt.

"I had a family once, too, you know." He doesn't make this comment with much emotion in his voice. But I can tell that it's just a guise. His dead son and ex-wife have always been the hardest subjects for him to talk about, even with me. "I had to leave them behind myself. So I know what you're thinking and I understand." The fact that he's bringing them up is a testament to how serious he is.

"Then you've got to understand why I can't do this."

"And you've got to think about why you should. Would you want any other person to take your place out there, not knowing the things you know? We have to send _someone_. Graham asked _you_ to get out there and dig around for a reason. Plus, if something does happen, that wife of yours has a real knack for coming after you."

I smile. "Don't I know it." I sigh. "You seem awfully calm for someone who's asking a friend to do something dangerous."

"The calmness is just for show. I'm really shaking in my regulation boots." He says this as a joke, but there's a hint of truth behind it. He doesn't want me to go, but he knows I'm the best man for the job. Hell, he's right. I am.

"Just… talk to Vala. And say hi to your little monsters for me, huh?"

"Yeah, I will."

"See you round, Daniel."

"Bye, Jack."

000

Later that evening, I don't have the heart to bring it up to Vala. We go to bed early. I think I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow, so to say.

_The sky turns dark and it begins to rain. It smells of mold and mildew. Unclean. I'm outside on some plain. The grass is tall, up to my knees. I'm wading through it like I would through a pool of water. Thunder cracks and lightning splits open the sky. I flinch. Those bolts are painful; I should know. I look down and see that my hands have turned black with grime. Not even the rain can wash away the dirt._

_I don't recognize my body. It's frail, older, thinner. It's weak. I feel as though my skin is melting off of my bones and I'm helpless to stop it._

_I'm struggling to make it through this endless field. It seems to stretch on forever in every direction. It's emptiness manifested. I don't know which direction to go. As I turn to survey my surroundings, I stop because a feeling tells me to. I listen. There's nothing else but the rain and thunder. I listen harder. Harder._

_Sudden silence. The rain is still pouring but its familiar pitter-patter has ceased. I look and catch a glimpse of a cloak behind me._

_Run._

_I tell my legs to move. They refuse. The cloak looms larger as it approaches._

_Run._

_I beg my legs to move. They finally obey but they don't seem to move fast enough. Blades of grass whizz by me. More cloaks appear to join the first one. The men beneath the cloaks are invisible. And they're matching my speed._

_Run._

_I stumble and fall. The cloaks surround me now. One of them moves closer and extends a limb in my direction. The hand that suddenly protrudes from it is covered in sickly yellow fur. It draws closer to my face. It will bring pain. It will bring pain. It will bring pain._

"Run!"

I bolt upright in bed. Vala yells in surprise and sits up behind me. Her hands reach around to my bare chest, feeling my heart trying to break free from its cage. She soothes me with feelings of calm through our mental connection. My legs are sticking to the sheets so I rip them off, exposing us both to the cool air in our room. I take in ragged breaths as I hold my hand to my head, unsure of this dream's meaning. All I know is: it's significant. I can't ignore these images any longer.

The window is open and a light breeze is flowing in softly. A draft of gentle wind hits my cheek and it triggers another image. _I'm looking up and tasting freedom, but I haven't gotten it yet. Suffering is all I've known for months._

Vala chokes. Her hands stop their soft touches along my chest. She saw the image, too. With only the pale moonlight to help us see, we lock eyes. I suddenly realize what's been happening to me. I've been experiencing mild hallucinations for longer than I can remember. They've each been so brief and out of context that I couldn't process them. My memory can't store something it doesn't understand. Flashes. That's what they are. As if they're being triggered by something inside. Like a warning.

Time.

_The three year mark passed, and passed again._ _A total of six years. I had not seen her in six years when they came._ I shake my head. Vala was never gone that long. At most, it was a few months. But that's not how it feels in the memory. The memory of what could have been…

"This is what you've been so worried about, isn't it?" Vala cuts right through to the heart of the matter.

"I'm not even sure what _this_ is," I respond, my voice ragged.

I take deep breaths and try to work out what's happening to my mind. "They're coming," I finally say aloud. I don't know who I'm talking about. I don't know why this short statement makes my hairs stand on end. Dread overcomes me. Something is going to happen. And we are not prepared.

"Who's coming?" Vala asks. She rubs at her eyes and brushes her hair out of her face.

"I… don't know."

"Your hallucinations," Vala pauses in hesitation. She must have sensed everything that was going through my mind once I woke up. She was holding on to me in order to calm me, after all. "…you've been having them a long time?"

I look at my wife. Her eyes are wide open, questioning, as worried-looking as mine must be. She's frightened. I feel a pang of guilt at making her feel this way. She needs to feel safe and it's my self-appointed job to ensure that. "I'm not sure. They don't feel like hallucinations. More like…" _Shit. _"Memories?" My tone trails upward into a question, as if Vala herself might be able to confirm my idea. But of course, she is just as baffled as I am.

"Daniel, I saw a part of your dream. You looked starved and unhealthy. _That _never happened." I look down. _What if it did?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

.

"I'll do it."

General Graham gives me a look of satisfaction, then returns his attention to his desk. He inks a stamp with his signature and presses it eagerly onto a document. "What changed your mind?"

"I, uh, discussed it with my wife. We both have a bad feeling about this whole situation and would like to see it resolved."

He raises his eyes from his files to me. I've gotten used to his multi-tasking and not making much eye contact when we're in his office. It's what makes him so efficient. But now, to have his attention so completely on me is disconcerting. "Bad feeling, eh?"

I'm intimidated. But not by Graham. By this insane sense that I know more than I think I do, and just can't access the information. "Difficult to explain, sir. You can call it SG-1 intuition, I guess."

He grunts, interpreting my comment as a light joke. It wasn't meant to be one. "Here." He offers me the documents he has just handled. "These are your specific orders, requisition forms for supplies, etc. etc. Look over these and then let me know what other arrangements you'll need before you leave."

"I can tell you right now, I'll need a ship."

"Cargo ship is all I have available."

I nod. "That'll do."

He emphasizes the need for me to provide a loose itinerary of likely places I might go, especially if I run into trouble and can't make direct contact with home. While the man is difficult to warm up to, I certainly appreciate his thoroughness. It will be dangerous on my own for such a prolonged period of time. I can't exactly leave a trail of bread crumbs through the Stargate for someone to follow.

After I make preparations for my little trip, I go home for a late lunch. Vala's washing up in the kitchen when I walk in. "Everything set?" she says grimly.

I lean in for a kiss on her cheek. "Yeah. I came home to say goodbye." She hides her worry from her expression, but I still sense it through our bond. I give her elbow a light squeeze to reassure her that I have every intention of returning in one piece.

"Hi, Dad!" Leah walks up to me and raises her arms. I pick her up and peck her on the cheek. "Want to play water balloons with me?" Vala sighs and returns her attention to the final dishes to be scrubbed.

I smile. Leah's always been so friendly, even when she was a baby. Luke usually needed time to warm up to people. "Sorry, princess, but I'm not staying home for a little while."

"Awwwww! Why?"

"Because…" is all I can muster. How do you explain to your three-year-old daughter that bad people are on their way and Daddy has to go figure out what in the hell to do about it?

"I hate dose bad guys," she mumbles.

"What?" Vala says.

Leah looks down, thinking she must have said something wrong. I get the feeling that she knows more than she's letting on. I tip her chin up and give her a look that says, _explain now._

"Da black dresses people. Dey're bad."

A dish crashes into the sink. I jump. Leah grips my neck in surprise. Vala's hands are shaking. She hurriedly wipes them on a clean dish towel. I'm about to ask if she's okay when she speaks first. "Leah, baby," she starts, taking our daughter's face in her hands, "where did you hear about that stuff?"

"From Luke," Leah replies easily.

"Luke," I whisper. I'm confused. Then it hits me. He had asked about the same 'people' the other day. "Luke!" I call my son.

In a few seconds he comes crashing in. He grabs on to my legs, happy to see me back home. I kneel down, simultaneously releasing Leah and taking hold of him. "Tell me about the people in the black dresses." I stare him straight in his eyes, trying to show him how serious I am. I'm not sure what to think of this yet. My children were never supposed to know details like this. Certainly not ones related to homeworld security.

"Daniel," Vala questions quietly. She places a hand on my shoulder. _We shouldn't._

_Shouldn't what? They know something they shouldn't know. I need to figure out what and how._

Luke looks a little nervous. Then Leah gives him a shove of encouragement. He offers in a small voice, "Dey're scary."

"What makes them scary, buddy?" I can feel disapproval oozing out from Vala. She doesn't want me frightening them.

He shuffles his feet and keeps looking down.

"Tell 'em, Nicky," Leah whispers. I glance at her. She doesn't often call her brother by his real name.

After locking eyes with his sister then with me, he goes on. "Dey hide in der black dresses and only come out when dey want to _get_ you." He starts to tear up. "Dey almost got you, Dad!" He climbs into my arms and buries his face in my chest. Leah stares after him, looking sympathetic and concerned for her twin.

Vala gets down to our level now, putting her hands on Leah's shoulders and staring at our son. I hold on to him, offering the same comfort he gave me the other night when Vala wasn't home. He's making an effort not to cry, I can tell. I stroke his hair. "Where did you hear that? Did you hear me and Mommy talking yesterday?"

He shakes his head and mumbles, "No."

"He saw it," Leah whispers again.

Vala cranes her neck to look her in the face. "What? Where?"

Luke lifts his head off my chest. "Daddy had a bad dream." That strikes a chord. I close my eyes, trying to unravel this little mystery. He's trying to tell me how he knows but I don't quite understand.

Vala senses my confusion and gives it a shot. "Baby, how do you know that?"

He turns his head, so that his ear is right over my heart. He seems to listen to my heartbeat for a while before answering. "When you were gone, Mommy. Daddy had a bad dream. He came to our room cuz he got scared."

A smile tugs at the corners of our mouths. "Just like you come to ours when you have a bad dream, huh?" she replies. He nods. Vala gives me a stare.

My eyes go a little wide. "What? I didn't say anything."

Leah leans in. "No. It was in here," she explains, pointing at my face. "…then it went in there," she concludes, gesturing to Luke's head. I do a double-take.

_Hold on a minute. It sounds like she's trying to tell us Luke is telepathic. That's impossible._

_Daniel_, my wife sounds in my head, _WE'RE telepathic._

_ Oh crap. _"Does that happen a lot, Luke?" I make a gesture with my hand to indicate my head leading to his. He shakes his head, no. I let out a breath.

"Only when you're sleepy, Daddy," Leah says. "When Luke was sleepy, he showed me your bad dream."

"You _saw_ Daddy's dream?" Vala asks, incredulous. She nods.

"Yeah," she says, getting a little excited. "There was lots of tall grass. And Daddy was really dirty. He forgot to take a bath." I slump down further on the floor. She has details that I never spoke of out loud. _I had that nightmare after you had come back home. Not the night that I spent in the kids' room._

Vala's elbow had been brushing mine this whole time. She responds, _You might have had the nightmare but didn't wake up from it that night. I found Luke in your arms. It was close contact. We have to touch to speak mentally. The same must go for them to see things from our minds._

As much as I probably shouldn't believe it, I think the twins really do have telepathic abilities. What a scary thought. It's now obvious that they can absorb anything. That nightmare being a prime example. This is terrible. They shouldn't be frightened with these strange hallucinations. If only I had known.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that these two inherited something unexpected from us, Darling."

"Her-ted?" Luke tries to repeat.

"Call Carolyn while I'm gone. Have her run a few tests to see if she can find anything different about Luke and Leah. I'd be interested to know if their brains light up like Christmas trees on the scans." Vala agrees.

"Christmas trees?" Leah wonders. "It's summer time, Daddy."

I smile. "I know, baby."

000

It's been ages since I've gone out into the field posing as a nobody. For years, Vala and I have always made our presence known and our intentions clear. It was the job. But now, as I step from the gate onto this unnamed planet, I'm as inconspicuous as I can muster. My clothes are made of simple, undyed cloth. The brown material is tattered to fool others into believing these are the only clothes I own. Inside the large jacket I've hidden an array of tools and weapons Vala would approve of. Being her husband has also taught me how to hide things on other parts of my person. I never thought I would need her so-called 'expertise' when I first met that fury of a woman.

I take a few steps, testing the ground. It's firm, solid. Not anything like the situation I'll get myself into in the next few days. I hear the activation of a zat and turn to my right. I don't see anything in the thick trees. This is a perfect site for an ambush. A gruff voice calls out, "Identify yourself!"

"Only the weak hide in trees cowering like children. Face me!" I shout back. This is all part of the routine that Teal'c briefed me on. I met with him on Belvia before coming here. He was there to counsel the young Jaffa slated to take over leadership of his people. I was not only checking on their progress, but also looking for a contact within the Lucian Alliance. Teal'c was able to connect me with this Jaffa spy.

"A human is only as good as his master!" _Good, he just told me he's a Jaffa_.

"Then my master is Teal'c," I call out.

At this the man steps into view. He's large, with a singular tattoo on his forehead. The mark of some minor Go'auld killed by one of our teams years ago. I spread my arms out, showing that I have nothing in my hands with which to shoot him. But he could already see that from in the trees. His zat is still aimed at my head, and I wait patiently for him to study me. "The Shol'va Teal'c is a good Jaffa." He smiles, displaying a collection of false teeth.

"Indeed," I say as stoically as possible.

He gives me a hearty laugh and lowers the zat. "You are Daniel Jackson?"

"I am. Are you Telak?"

"Yes. The High Chancellor said you would come. He also said you were seeking information about the Alliance colony that was destroyed."

"That's correct." Telak motions for me to take cover in the trees. He doesn't have to explain that anyone could step through that gate and cause trouble for us. We walk a few minutes in silence. I take the opportunity to survey my surroundings and see for myself if we really are alone as promised. Satisfied, I address him. "What do you know?"

"Very little. The colony was leveled by an unknown force. I was among the group of men sent down to search for one of the Alliance's captains. Ventrell would have liked to have his head if he was still alive. But like the people of his colony, he was dead."

"Was anything left behind?"

"Nothing. Luscious fields of casa and a growing complex of buildings were replaced by emptiness. Only a few bodies were found outside the perimeter of the destruction."

"How did they die?"

"They were charred like meat over a flame."

I shiver inwardly. That brings back a haunting memory of my wife. "Who did this?"

"The leaders within the Alliance would happily place the blame on you." I furrow my brow. "The Tau'ri. Ventrell has a special place in his heart for your people, Daniel Jackson. Especially your wife."

He laughs when my face betrays my anger. "But in truth, they do not know who destroyed their colony. There is much in-fighting as a result. And that allows you an opportunity."

"To infiltrate their leadership?" Cam had done it before when we were once lost. He'd even used the same Reole drug that I have right now to fool his way in.

The Jaffa places a heavy hand on my shoulder. "No. It would be too dangerous and too long an effort for your purposes. There are other ways." I have a feeling Teal'c told this guy to keep me out of trouble. I cock my head, encouraging him to explain. "There is a group of men, low within the ranks, who are prone to open their mouths. I have gained a healthy amount of information from them on many a drunken night. They are too stupid to realize their mistakes. You would do well to join them for a night of raucous debauchery."

I grin. It's perfect. As unlikely as it would have seemed when we first met, Vala and I used to hit the taverns around the galaxy doing just this kind of intelligence work. Up until she got pregnant. Telak gives me the names and descriptions of the men in question. There's three of them I have to deal with. He doesn't offer to come with me, but I'm not surprised. I don't ask him where he has to go because I suspect he can't tell me. I respect his need to maintain his own cover and simply thank him for the information.

"If you find those responsible for the colony's destruction, then that is all the thanks I need. I had friends there among the dead," Telak says. "I would see them avenged."

000

I make my way to another world, deep within Alliance territory. I have to conduct myself carefully here because anyone could recognize me and bring me straight to Odie Ventrell. That wouldn't be good. We didn't have a very pleasant time the last time we met. Even though we were the ones responsible for putting him in power, he still doesn't like our people very much. I'm still debating on whether or not he's the lesser of two evils. Netan, his assassinated predecessor, wasn't exactly a walk in the park, either.

I have already activated one of my mimic devices. According to its label, I look like one of the airmen who used to work for the SGC. He's dead now, which means none of these people have seen his face recently. I check a small mirror and confirm it. I head straight to the market, not the tavern, and act like a typical low-life looking for a bite to eat. I try not to draw attention to myself. Vala would do just the opposite, saying the more attention you draw, the less suspicion you arouse. I tend not to follow that philosophy.

As I casually walk through the crowded marketplace, swatting away sticky hands in the process, I find my marks. Two of them are hanging around by a stall with casa fruit. It's obvious they're not patrons, but enforcers. They're hassling the vendor over something, likely a payment that's past due to their captain. The third one is off to the side, watching the exchange. I toss a coin to the vendor next to me and pick up a piece of unnamed fruit. I take a bite as I watch the three inconspicuously.

I spend the next day studying their movements and habits. They spend it taking turns hassling various townsfolk. Each time, they demand payment for the use of Alliance real estate to sell their wares. Most shopkeepers give it up, having dealt with these hoodlums before. A few of the younger victims try to fight back, but then all three jump in to teach them a lesson. After a hard day's work of harassment, I learn that they go to the same tavern every night. The barman serves them all the food they want and ignores them when they cause a scene. He's obviously in their pocket. Their servant for the right price.

I get my break when one of the men mentions his long, lost friend. He's another enforcer on some other world and very good at what he does. The man gushes about his friend's 'accomplishments,' saying he'll one day get the attention of his captains and be promoted. The other two make fun and argue with the storyteller about that. I can tell they're already drunk. They've had four full mugs of beer, or some equivalent to it. I listen in for the rest of the night, planning to make my move tomorrow.

The next day, I change the mimic device I'm using. It now displays the image of another former member of the SGC, but this time a Lieutenant. He was discharged with honors from the Air Force after being injured in the field. No chance he'll be going offworld anytime soon. I decide to purposely bump into one of the marks in the marketplace.

I walk toward them and lean my shoulder in as I pass. One of them, the man with the friend offworld, grabs my arm. He's irritated with my lack of respect. I grab his arm back, secretly stabbing him with the Reole drug. "Harlin!"

He gives me a strange look of confusion.

"It's me, Grethos!" Realization dawns on his face and he smiles. Harlin claps me on the back in excitement.

"I don't believe it! What are you doing here, friend?"

"Looking for the enforcer who's made a name for himself here!"

Harlin grins, believing it to be himself. He laughs. Whispering loudly to his mates, he says, "That must be me." The other two hit him upside the head and on the arm in annoyance. He points to them. "These are my fellow enforcers, Mylo and Lestir." I grasp arms with them. Mylo has a scar down his face. Lestir has dark, thick hair. It shouldn't be hard to tell them apart. Harlin has light brown hair and a lopsided grin. I notice that Lestir uses his left arm to greet me. From my previous observations, he's right-handed. I tuck that away for later.

"This," Harlin continues, "is the man I was talking about last night. An enforcer of enforcers!" He laughs again. The other two look skeptical.

Mylo crinkles his scarred eye. "Show us." I've observed these brutes long enough to know how they operate. And to learn what they consider great might. So I demonstrate what I've learned on an unsuspecting shopkeeper. I find the nearest one and grab his neck from behind. I bring it down to the table with what looks like much force. He yells out in surprise and apparent pain.

"Your dues," I say simply and hold out a hand. Without hesitation the shopkeeper uses a shaky hand to drop a few coins into mine. I promptly bring him back up and push him forcefully into his stall, where a few bolts of fabric fall on top of him. Harlin starts laughing again. His companions seem to sneer in approval. Little do they know I paid the shopkeeper ahead of time to put up an act.

Lestir holds out a hand to take the coins. I snatch mine away. "I believe I should have a share if you're going to have me _help_ you with your petty little assignment." He grits his teeth, but Harlin places a hand on his chest, preventing him from attacking me.

"Let him have it. You wanted to see a show? There it was." He pushes Lestir out of his way, and clasps an arm around my shoulders. "You must join us tonight. You can tell these two fools yourself all about what you've done. They don't want to believe me."

I smile. "Of course. Still drinking the same poison?"

Harlin laughs again. He's such a jolly fellow. "And worse since I've gotten to this backwater planet! The only thing that keeps me sane!"

I separate from him. "I have business to take care of here. When I'm finished with that, I'll find you." Within the Alliance, 'business' usually means a hit. Harlin doesn't ask who I'm after, probably assuming my own superior sent me here to track someone down. He likely thinks it's a stray merchant trying to escape my authority. We part ways until later.

I find them in the tavern that night, and Harlin immediately calls me over. They make room for me at their usual table, and Harlin orders me a drink. I take what looks like a large swig, hoping to make an impression on the other two enforcers. They hardly seem to care or notice what I'm doing. _Good_. I slam the mug down, letting the amber drink slosh around and down the sides.

Harlin demands that I tell his friends a few good stories. It's not hard to fool them. I just give detailed accounts of great battles from Earth's history. All I have to do is change the names of the heroes to my own and I have them hanging on my every word. And Vala wonders why I pay attention to the past. I keep pretending to drink and then slam my mug on the table hard enough to spill the alcohol on the floor. Pretty soon I can pretend I'm drunk enough to just spill it outright without all the diversion. I have no intention of getting hammered.

We get through the second and third rounds quickly. The trio I'm with is sufficiently drunk, having swallowed their drinks easily as I regaled them with stories from my pretend youth. It's obvious they haven't had much entertainment lately. Harlin and his buddies drift into conversation about local matters, giving me a reprieve. I just sit and listen while I pretend to nurse my drink.

"The captain says we need to start bringing in more."

Mylo agrees with Lestir, who seems perpetually worried. "Looks like the merchants will have to go a few days without food," he says with a dark laugh. Harlin joins in.

"You know why your captain wants more dues?" I chime in.

Harlin looks at me suspiciously. "I have an idea."

Mylo leans in. "Word is that the casa on this planet is not worth its weight."

Lestir adds, "The crops were diseased last year. The yield isn't what it used to be."

I scoff with obvious arrogance.

Harlin eyes me. "You know something, Grethos?"

"None of you have a clue. It's got nothing to do with crops and disease. Those are just excuses. That's what the people of Girardi tried and look what it got them." The trio look at each other. Then at me. I can tell I hit a nerve. Girardi is the name of the colony that was decimated, the same one I'm trying to learn about.

"You know what happened?" Lestir questions quietly.

"You don't?" I reply condescendingly.

"Of course we do!" Mylo yells. Harlin thumps on the table. "Everyone knows those blasted farmers got what they deserved."

Harlin thumps on the table again. "Even their own guardian ha'tak couldn't escape punishment!" Lestir remains quiet. He's not joining in on the tirade as easily as the other two. _There's my weak link._ Mylo and Harlin forget that I was about to tell them the 'truth' about Girardi. Lestir watches me silently while his fellows repeat the story of how Girardi fell to the whole bar. None of what they're saying matches up with my contact's report.

After the fourth round, the group calls it a night. I bid farewell to Harlin with a firm shake, all the while acting like the worst drunkard. At this point, the trio normally separates to find their various places of rest. But when I leave the tavern, I know I'm being followed. I also know who's following me. I lead him into a dark alley.

I pull out a knife and hold it to Lestir's throat, pushing him against the wall. I slam his right hand, the weak one, against the hard brick and force him to release his own knife. I glare at him in the faint streetlight. He doubles over when I knee him in the stomach. Standing over him, I say with a deadly voice, "You're pathetic."

He's panting, so I must have knocked the wind out of him. "I had… to see… if you were… really that good."

"Your doubt insults me." I hold the knife to his throat again. "Give me a reason not to kill you now."

"Wait! Wait!" Lestir catches his breath, then looks me in the eye. "You know what happened to Girardi? What _really_ happened?"

I consider him for a moment. "Nobody knows."

"That's what I've been trying to tell those fools Harlin and Mylo."

"I take it that _you_ know something." The knife I'm holding starts to prick his skin. He squirms beneath it.

"No," Lestir says, voice laced with a little fear. "But I know how to find out." Maybe he could tell I was fishing for information. I release him and Lestir slumps to the ground. "I know you want to learn about that place. It's obvious. I can help you if you cut me in."

"Start talking."

His eyes open wide when he hears my zat powering up. "There's a recorder on every ha'tak. The Alliance captains are too stupid to go looking for it."

"The ha'tak vessels were destroyed," I say plainly.

"The recorders are indestructible. We wouldn't be feeling the pressure to raise dues if those idiots would just look for the recorders and find out who really destroyed Girardi. Your own captain sent you out here because he wants to squeeze every coin out of his colonists. That's why you had to follow one here, isn't it? To shore up his defenses in case the Alliance heads start blaming him?"

It's drunken logic, but right now it's allowing Lestir to justify his helpfulness. He seems to think that if we both find out the real culprits, we'll get some sort of reward from the Lucian Alliance. Poor fool. He's too low on the totem pole to understand the big picture.

I don't bother to answer Lestir's question. I zat him unconscious and leave. So the ha'taks have black boxes. _Interesting_.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"This is unorthodox, Daniel Jackson." I'm back on the meeting planet with Telak, explaining what I've learned. Teal'c assures me that this Jaffa spy can be trusted.

"The Alliance is unorthodox. Nothing they do makes much sense because they can barely function as a collective. You're on the inside; you know that better than I do."

Telak has to nod in agreement. It's no secret that Earth deals the Alliance crippling blows every couple years. They're not quite as strong or united as they used to be. Odie Ventrell himself was once leader, but fell because of all the in-fighting. He now only controls a small portion of the Alliance. Telak happens to be a spy within Ventrell's ranks.

"You cannot just go to Girardi and expect to be left alone. They have stationed two ha'tak vessels there."

"Why?"

"They're afraid. Ventrell believes the attackers will come back to take what's left of the casa."

"You said there's almost nothing left." Telak nods. "They're paranoid, aren't they?"

"Indeed. Ventrell mistakenly thinks he can regrow the colony and start anew."

"Because his power base is shrinking. Right. He doesn't have any room to expand." Telak bows his head, knowing I've understood. "I still have to go. Those ha'tak recorders are floating in the debris and they might have the answers I need. The Alliance might want to know who attacked their colony, but I need to know more."

The Jaffa considers me carefully. "Why is it so important to you, Daniel Jackson?"

"Earth doesn't want another bloodbath. If we can find out who is destroying planets along the galaxy's outer rim, maybe we can negotiate."

He grunts. "You Tau'ri are a strange people. You can crush the mightiest of threats, yet you seek to 'talk' with your enemies! Why not stand your ground and show force so that no one would dare to challenge you in the first place?"

"Like the Lucian Alliance has so successfully done?" I ask sarcastically. Telak smirks, then laughs aloud.

"You make a point, human."

"We, Tau'ri, like to ask questions first then shoot later. You know that 'intelligence' is just as valuable as a weapon."

Telak thinks on this for a moment. He's like many Jaffa, primed to take orders and do battle. It's been Teal'c's struggling mission to give his people a purpose, especially since no urgent threats to the Jaffa have surfaced before now. Part of that struggle includes educating the Jaffa on how to live life without violence as their primary means of solving problems. "You speak wisely, Daniel Jackson. I will give you the coordinates of Girardi, but you must be warned. Those ha'tak will likely try to destroy you."

"I'm sure they will."

I take my leave and travel to another planet – the Alpha site. General Graham arranged to have a cargo ship there for me.

000

"Darling." So much meaning is wrapped up in the way she says it. Vala is seated, staring intently at me through a video screen. I recognize the flags stationed behind her. She must be set up in the briefing room back home. She's happy and relieved to see me. I don't have to see her face to know it. "How goes the mission?"

"Oh you know," I start lightly, "I've done a little traveling. Seen the sights. Made new friends." I tap the gate room console of the Alpha site absently. Before me the light of the shimmering event horizon brightens everything in the drab, gray room. Various technicians doomed to their assignments quietly go about their tedious jobs.

She grimaces, not in the least bit interested in playing our little game of sarcasm. "And have any of these new friends tried to kill you yet?"

My eyes widen ever so slightly. "Only one!"

"Hmpf." I can tell she doesn't approve. One of the techs seems to scoff.

I let out a little extra breath through my nose and close my eyes. She's too worried about me. I'd better get straight to the point. "Sweetheart, I'm fine. I haven't even gotten a scratch. I do, however, have a promising lead that I need to check out. The ha'tak vessels have black boxes. One of them might be floating in the debris around Girardi."

"Your expression tells me it won't be as easy as getting over there and picking it up."

"No, it won't be. I have to figure out a way to get past the two ha'tak vessels they've left behind to guard the place."

"Idiots. If they'd have done any digging of their own they'd know that the aliens never go back to a place they've hit."

"Tell that to Ventrell. It's one of his remaining worlds."

Vala smirks. "How nice for him."

"Yeah."

"Darling, you know that if I could, I'd be there with you." She strengthens the eye contact she's maintained with me ever since this conversation began. Her eyes have been memorizing my features unconsciously, making sure they never forget my face if I don't return. I know, because I'm doing the same exact thing.

I nod at her last statement. "I know."

"Hmm… perhaps I _can_ still offer you assistance. When were you planning to visit Girardi?"

"This evening, once the cargo ship is loaded with supplies."

"Hmm. Make it tomorrow morning at 0300 hours. I'll need a little time."

"Vala," I say with the warning tone I usually reserve for our children, "what are you thinking?"

"Normally I would be an open book to you, Darling, but this time, you'll just have to wait for the surprise." For the first time since we began talking, she grins. I know that smile. It means trouble.

"Vala," I start again.

She raises her hands within the view of the monitor to placate me. "Now don't worry, Daniel. You would probably approve of what I have in mind. Perfectly effective."

"But not perfectly safe, I presume. Thus your decision to not participate in sharing time."

She grins again. I cringe inwardly. "Mmm hmm." I sigh and give in immediately. I recognize a battle that's not worth winning. The gears were already turning in her head the minute I told her about my next task. She updates me on the children, who are fine and missing me, as expected. We exchange quick "I love you's" in one of the few languages we share that isn't English and sign off.

I need to take a short moment to process everything before I get up to prepare my cargo ship. I sit back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest. The chair squeaks loudly with the shift in weight. I glance around to see if anyone cared, and notice that all of the techs are already looking at me. I offer them a confused furrow of the brow. "What?"

All of them scramble back into their previous tasks, embarrassed to have been caught staring. One of the older techs speaks for the lot. "Sorry, sir, it's just a bit of a shock to see you here." I remain confused. "We've been fairly well-briefed on the things you've accomplished, sir. It's kind of comforting to see that you have ordinary cares just like the rest of us."

"Ahh. Makes me seem more human, doesn't it?"

He nods with a meek smile.

I often forget just how much weight the name 'Daniel Jackson' seems to carry wherever I go. Within the confines of any SGC facility, I'm told I'm some sort of a legend. I don't seem to notice as much back home, but out here in the middle of nowhere, I guess it's news that I'm here. I'd rather these people see me as ordinary so they can get over this strange hero-worship thing they've built up. I don't think I can live up to whatever ideal they hold me to out here. Nor would I even want to. I've got other things on my mind.

"Captain, do you have the equipment to read the black box from a ha'tak vessel?"

He thinks for a moment. "No." He adds, "But I do believe the latest battleships are outfitted with compatible technology. Shall I send for one of them, sir? Perhaps Colonel Carter's ship?" The hopeful look in his eyes tells me that I'm not the only legend floating around like a ghost in these halls.

With an imperceptible shake of my head, I say, "Sure. Why not. Tell her it's for me."

He nods excitedly. "I was planning on it."

000

I'm sitting patiently in the cargo ship the SGC has lent me. It's currently cloaked in orbit around the former Alliance colony. I exited hyperspace early, on the outer edge of the solar system behind a moon, to avoid detection. Even before I had a chance to hit the cloak command, my scanners picked up the signatures of two other ships in the area. Telak's intel is correct thus far.

The ha'tak vessels do very little but sit in their floating parking spaces. To pass the time, I've been taking scans of the debris and the ruined colony below. I've already found the so-called black box, but I have no safe way to get it right now. This old bucket is an easy target without cloaking generators. It would simply take too long for me to de-cloak and ring aboard the box in question without getting shot at.

Twenty minutes before the scheduled reveal of my wife's supposed surprise, the ha'tak vessels begin powering up their engines. I drop my feet off the console and sit up. One ship jumps into hyperspace, and then the next. The planet is unguarded. "Go Vala," I say with a smile. I do one quick pass around the planet just to be sure before de-cloaking.

When I finally do, I nervously hit the commands for the rings. Even a few seconds visible to scanners are a few seconds too long. I have no way of telling when those ships will be back. When I'm satisfied the rings have brought in what I intended, I cloak the ship again. It might be wise for me to fly away now, but I feel the need to check my cargo first.

I put on some heavy gloves and sort through the strange pieces sitting on the floor of the cargo room. They're beyond ice-cold, having been in the dead vacuum of space for so long. "Hello," I mumble. Based on Telak's description, I've found the piece I was looking for. It's not rectangular like one would expect, but rather a hearty black crystal encased in some sort of resin. It's as long as my arm and as wide as my hand. I've never seen a crystal this large, though I wouldn't be surprised if Atlantis was equipped with items like these. Perhaps even larger given the size of that ship.

I smile. Sam will have a field day.

My scanners start beeping. When I look back through the door at my heads-up display, I realize that the others have come back. Time to go.

A warning shot nearly slices through the side of my ship as I sit back down. _Crap_. I slowly and carefully maneauver toward my would-be attackers. Vala once taught me that ha'taks never expect a cloaked cargo ship they're after to fly _toward_ them. The move throws them off, leaving them to continue firing blind shots into space.

I silently fly right between the ships, so close that I can almost see inside of one. I wait until I'm back behind a moon on the outer rim of the system to jump.

"Whew." The swirling blue of hyperspace allows me a little reprieve. That was almost too easy. I'm not likely to have another one of those lucky breaks for a long, long time. In fact, experience states that my next task will result in nothing but big trouble. I swallow. I've got very little to look forward to now.

000

_"No, no… please just let me go."_

_ I barely recognize the whine of my own weak voice._

_ They don't listen._

_ A blade slices through me. I feel warm blood gush out and hear it splash onto the floor._

_ I scream. I've never heard myself scream like that. Never thought that I could. If it weren't for the pain, I'd be chilled to the bone from the sound of my own torture._

_ When I open my eyes again, spider-like arms are holding the long stick that just cut me in half. It drops to the floor and all I can concentrate on is the loud clatter it makes._

The console is beeping. "Agh!" I jump in my seat and nearly fall out of it. Sweat is pouring down my brow. My hands are clammy. My heart is beating a mile a minute. "Shit," I mutter. I bring a shaky hand to my forehead while the other finds the command to silence the alarm. I don't dare close my eyes, taking in the relative comfort of the cargo ship floor over the memory of my latest nightmare.

My breathing is ragged. It's taking longer to recover from this one. I wrap my arms around myself. _Where are these damn images coming from?_ I demand of myself. My brain has no explanation for this self-imposed mental torture. It's then that I realize I've been crying in my sleep. The tears are starting to dry on my cheeks. "Shit," I swear again.

The console beeps, but this time the sound is different. It chimes in a way to let me know a message is coming through. Maybe that's the best thing for me right now. Human contact should help me forget this latest fear-inducing experience. I slap the button to turn on the receiver.

"…peat. This is the Earth ship _Hammond_. Identify yourself."

I look up through the window. There she is. It's a beautiful sight from my vantage point. All guns and glory and full of human life inside. It's exactly what I need. I sit up and lean forward. "This is Daniel Jackson. Confirmation code: Sierra Niner Alpha Charlie."

There is a pause on the other end. They're making sure the code hasn't been changed since I last left home. "Daniel?" It's Sam's voice.

"Sam!"

"Good to hear your voice. You're clear to dock." Her ship sends mine instructions and I set the system to follow them automatically. Meanwhile I gather up the black crystal and get ready to open the airlock.

When the door hisses open, there are a few airmen on the other side to greet me. They salute me even though I'm a civilian. I nod, but reserve my warm greetings for the woman I'm about to meet. The airmen lead me through the winding maze of Sam's ship to a conference room on the bridge level.

I'm surprised to see Vala in there.

She jumps up. "Daniel!" She hugs me fiercely.

"What the Hell… wait… you did what?" Her physical contact tells me all I need to know. It was Vala who had arranged for the _Hammond_ to get into a firefight with one of Ventrell's ships nearby the Girardi colony. She had even posed as the ship's commander so she could get on the coms and goad Ventrell into a fight herself. Telak had been right. He really did want to kill her.

The distraction had proven worthy enough for Ventrell to recall his other ships, the very same ones I had been hiding from. To add to the fun, she made it look like the _Hammond _had taken damage and jumped away like a dog with its tail between its legs. I carefully put the black crystal down on the table and grab her shoulders. "You…"

She grins.

Sam enters and greets me with a fierce hug of her own. "I've missed you both so much."

"I hope we haven't inconvenienced you, Sam," I say.

She just laughs. "Not at all, it was fun," she replies, commenting about Vala's antics while aboard. Sam shares a conspiratorial smile with her female friend. I groan loudly but Sam ignores my complaint. "I saw pictures of Luke and Leah. They're huge!"

Now I'm grinning. "Yup, they're growing nonstop."

"So I hear," she says with a chuckle. Her golden locks sparkle in the light of the conference room. Today she's pulled her long hair into a sleek ponytail.

"Speaking of which…" I turn to my wife. "Where are they?"

Vala stays perfectly calm. "With Jack."

"Jack!?"

"He volunteered."

"What?"

"It's true," Sam chimes in. "Once he heard about Vala's little plan, he offered to take in the kids. Said something about how it might be fun."

I smirk. "Ha. I'm sure he's crying just about now."

Sam smiles wickedly. "That's why I didn't say anything."

"You _are_ evil," I comment good-naturedly.

"So," Sam starts, gesturing to the black crystal on the table, "this is it?"

I pick it up and hand it to her. "According to my contact, yes. This is the black box of a ha'tak vessel."

Sam turns it around in her hands, testing its weight. "I guess I'm not surprised to find it's an oversized crystal encased in trinium alloy."

"Will you be able to read it then?"

"Yes. We've got the equipment set up in one of the labs. I have a team standing by to analyze the data."

Vala speaks up excitedly. "Then let's get it down there. Sam, I'm sure you have other important tasks to keep up with. Don't let us get in the way."

We both stare at Vala for a moment. Sam blinks then lets a small smile form on her face. "Right." She presses a button on the wall pad, calling for one of her people to come pick up the crystal. Turning back to us, "I'm sure you remember where your quarters are. Daniel, you're welcome to stay as long as you need."

"Thanks, Sam." When our friend leaves, Vala grabs my face and pulls me into a long, deep kiss. I don't resist. Wouldn't want to resist.

She breaks the kiss eventually, taking in some air. By now I have her fully enveloped in my arms. I let my nose make contact with hers. We don't have to say anything to know what we'll do next, privately in our quarters.

000

Hours later, the three of us plus one of Sam's scientists are back in the briefing room. The scientist has set up a display of pertinent information on the screen and on individual datapads. I stare at the mess of Go'auld logs and reports about ship functions I know I'll never understand. When I glance over, it looks like everyone else seems to be getting something out of this but me.

"According to this data," Major Herst begins, "the ha'tak vessel was engaged in some sort of battle. Based on the damage reports that were coming in, the fight was pretty one-sided."

Vala mumbles, staring at her data pad, "They had no idea what hit them. Literally."

"It looks like their assailants were using some sort of energy pulse, but other reports say the ship's damage was being caused by projectile weapons," Sam said with interest.

"Anything on _who_ was attacking?" I say, mustering a little patience.

"Oh. Sorry." Sam scrolls through more reports on her pad. "Here." Whatever she's looking at gets transmitted to the holographic display above the table. It shows a basic outline of a ship we've never seen before. The gridlines twist in so many unfamiliar directions, I'm not really sure what I'm looking at.

Sam gets up to point at the hologram. Staring back and forth between it and her datapad, she shows how the energy pulses seem to originate from a portion of the ship shaped like a double-helix. It's an odd configuration for a star ship. The double-helix pattern forms the center of the structure. In what seems to be the back of the ship, the helix collapses in on itself into an assymmetrical mass. From there other structures shoot out all around the helix, as if they were ribs protecting organs. What's more, there are no right angles or hard edges to its design.

"I don't suppose anyone recognizes this," Sam chimes in after a moment.

Vala and the scientist shake their heads no.

I continue to stare at the display. I know I've never seen this before. Not even the MALP caught a clear picture of the ship that set fire to the last allied planet I was on. I'm not getting a strange tingle of familiarity from this picture. For some reason, I think I'm disappointed.

Vala punches my arm lightly. When I blink, I realize everyone's been waiting for me. "What is it?" she asks.

"I've never seen anything like it." Something tells me that I should at least feel, well, _something_. Like I should have a flash right about now. As if this very display is supposed to unlock all the deep, dark secrets hiding in the recesses of my mind. But it doesn't. The mystery of who these aliens are remains.

"Hey take a look at this," Vala chimes in. She taps at her datapad and it overrides the holographic display. A communication log has popped up. "They tried to hail the other ship before it opened fire." We all see the icon that represents "play" in Go'auld. Someone hits it and sound fills the room.

_"Identify yourself."_

_ Static._

_ "You are trespassing in Lucian Alliance territory. Identify yourself or be destroyed."_

_ Somewhere in the background, another voice sounds, caught in the recording. "Jysef, the other vessel is scanning our colony. It has just sent down a probe."_

_ "Open fire and destroy them."_

_ "Ffjalksjf… sfuifo rueiox."_

The recording stops there. "What the hell was that at the end?" Sam's subordinate asks.

"Sounded like gibberish to me," Vala answers. Sam nods in agreement.

I don't reply. I'm frozen, processing the noise I just heard. That was a language. That was an alien language. No discernable separation of sounds. No way for the human voice box to even mimic what we just heard. But it was language just the same. I know. Because I think I've heard it before.

In my dreams.

"Daniel?"

Vala leans over. I don't move.

"Darling, are you okay?"

I think my mouth is hanging open and my eyes are round as saucers. I'm not disappointed anymore. That tinge of recognition I was hoping for is hitting me like a bus right now. And it's scaring the hell out of me.

The wall console beeps. I jump. Sam gives me a strange look then gets up to answer it. "Ma'am, we need you on the bridge."

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

"We're receiving orders from Stargate Command. Another planet is under attack."

No one wastes any time getting up and going. Nervous tension strains every muscle in my body. I keep dwelling on that voice from the recording. It was incomprehensible, yet I sensed the threat in its message just the same. When we arrive on the bridge, a tech brings up the orders sent from Earth.

Sam gives the command for the ship to jump into hyperspace. "We're being sent to assist one of our allies in the region," she explains to Vala and me. We spend a few tense minutes traveling through hyperspace before jumping out into normal space. Scans pick up two ships in orbit around a planet. Both of them are sending down intense beams of light to the planet's surface.

"What the hell are they doing?" someone asks.

I recognize one of the ships. It's the same one as in the diagram the ha'tak black box provided. The other ship is completely different.

"Scan them," Sam orders.

"Sam, we should open fire!" Vala yells. "They're destroying that world!"

I grab my wife's arm. "In the recording, the aliens attacked after they sensed the ha'tak's intention to fire."

Sam nods. "Daniel's right. Powering weapons might provoke them. They haven't opened fire on us yet."

"Colonel, one of the ships is scanning _us_." This raises an alarm.

"Steady," Sam says, calming her crew.

I can see through the window that one of the ships stops sending down a beam of light to the planet. It's the one that's unfamiliar thus far. It resembles a strange jumble of boxes. The ship's shape is constantly changing, as if the whole thing is expanding. It turns, and alarm bells throughout the bridge begin going off.

"Colonel…"

"I see it, Lieutenant." Sam is busy squinting her eyes at the suspicious vessel. Obviously trying to figure it out.

"We're receiving a signal." After a beat, a tech reports, "It's an extremely short transmission."

Sam turns to look at her communication officer's console. She frowns at it. "It's compressed." She makes some sort of complicated command that makes the transmission comprehensible.

"_Ffjalksjf… sfuifo rueiox."_

I gasp. "Sam! Jump!"

"What?"

I look straight at the helmsman. "Get us out of here!" The urgency in my voice seems to convince him. His hands are already tapping in the commands as Sam gives the order to comply.

Our hyperspace window doesn't seem to open fast enough. I feel the pull of the ship as we make an attempt to jump. But a huge jolt knocks everyone off their feet or nearly out of their chairs. More alarms start to ring.

"Report!" Sam yells from the floor.

"They just shot a chunk of our communications array off!"

"Reinitiate the jump NOW," she orders.

The window reopens and our bruised ship pulls through.


End file.
